Special session is an exercise in frustration for legislators, public

They'd rather be campaigning, working their regular jobs or spending time with family - anything besides fighting off boredom in a special-called session.

On this point, most Georgians probably concur. Throwing away $45,000 a day in taxpayer money so legislators can sit in Atlanta twiddling their thumbs isn't anyone's idea of good government.

This is the second day of what, we can only hope, will be a five-day special session. The purpose: finishing a job which should have been completed before the regular session ended last month.

Legislators streamed into Atlanta this week because of one bill - a measure to help pay for the state's new indigent defense system by raising court fees and fines. The bill was on track for passage during the regular session until Gov. Sonny Perdue tried to assume more control over the judiciary's budget - a move which sparked opposition from Democratic legislators. Mired in conflict, the bill stalled as time ran out on the regular session.

Not only did the bill's failure jeopardize indigent defense reforms, but it also threw the state's budget off kilter. The roughly $57 million in revenue expected to be generated by this legislation was included in the upcoming budget. Without this extra money, the state's spending plan was no longer balanced.

Perdue called this week's special session so the legislature could approve the court fee bill and restore equilibrium to the budget, which takes effect July 1.

To their credit, the feuding parties settled their differences on this issue last week. Though we applaud their success in negotiating a compromise, the agreement makes the already questionable special session seem even more absurd.

With a deal already struck, legislators have nothing to do but while away the days looking for something to occupy their time. For many that means wandering around the Gold Dome, catching up on some reading or visiting with friends.

As longtime Democratic Rep. Larry Walker told the Associated Press: ''There ain't but enough work up here for five, six people. The rest of us are just window dressing.''

Because legislative rules require a bill to be read three times in each chamber before it can be passed the minimum length of the special session is five days. On Monday, the legislature convened for an hour so the House clerk could read the bill's title and satisfy the requirement. The same thing must happen today and Wednesday. The House then can approve the bill and send it to the Senate, where it will be read three more times and voted on Friday. If all goes as planned, the legislature then will adjourn.

This weeklong exercise of legislative rubber-stamping may to cost the state $225,000 in expenses and staffing. However, the special session's monetary cost pales in comparison to the dissatisfaction and even loss of respect it may engender in many Georgians.

Nothing is more frustrating than watching the state's leaders lock horns in costly battles which would have been utterly avoidable through basic statesmanship. While we're pleased the governor, judiciary and legislature worked out a compromise in the end, with so much at stake, it should have been done before the regular session ended.